'Side by Side'

'Side by Side'

"Exploring musical connections" is the theme of this year's Northwestern University spring festival, a seven-concert event (through April 13) that surveys the spectrum of classical, jazz, pop and world music. Kicking off the fest will be the hip string quartet ETHEL, with rock icon Todd Rundgren, showing how music from the 1970s has influenced today's classical music. The program ranges from Arvo Part's neomedieval minimalism to arrangements of Rundgren songs. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; $20; 847-467-4000, pickstaiger.org

"Exploring musical connections" is the theme of this year's Northwestern University spring festival, a seven-concert event (through April 13) that surveys the spectrum of classical, jazz, pop and world music. Kicking off the fest will be the hip string quartet ETHEL, with rock icon Todd Rundgren, showing how music from the 1970s has influenced today's classical music. The program ranges from Arvo Part's neomedieval minimalism to arrangements of Rundgren songs. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; $20; 847-467-4000, pickstaiger.org

"Exploring musical connections" is the theme of this year's Northwestern University spring festival, a seven-concert event (through April 13) that surveys the spectrum of classical, jazz, pop and world music. Kicking off the fest will be the hip string quartet ETHEL, with rock icon Todd Rundgren, showing how music from the 1970s has influenced today's classical music. The program ranges from Arvo Part's neomedieval minimalism to arrangements of Rundgren songs. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; $20; 847-467-4000, pickstaiger.org